The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-11-09
WAS HE ANARCHIST?
An inquest o. a Dead Body Elicits a
Sf.,-s.ga 2torv

q
St,-pge Story.
PTTTsBURG, Pa Sovember &-Yesterday
Thomas Owens. unpretentl0us Carpen-
ter at work on mouse at Homestead, fell
from the roof O. the building and broke
his neck. Squire 3efner was deputizsd to
hold an INQUEST, and to day made report
of his investiga ton. Owens, the deceased
il appears, came to this city about one
year ago, some two or three days after the
Hay Market riot a. Chicago. IN somewhat
dilspidated condition, representing him
self to be carpenter out OF job. He at
once secured work at homestead with j.
X. Mullet, and for the past year has been
working steadily alongside of a man
named Piper, or Pfeiifer also carpenter.
When Owens began work he said he had
just come from Chicago where he had
brother living. and seemed nervous and
startled at everything. One day while
Pfeiifer and Ovens were at w0zk an officer
came to Homestead N search of a man on
charge OF desertion. Seeing Ovens and
not knowing what his man looked like,
the officer asked Mr.. Mullet who Ovens
was, and was told, Uhereupon he went
away. The men at work heard that the
officer had asked who Owens was and out
of mischief told him that an officer had
been after him. He became very much
excited. and went 10 Mr.. Mullet at once,
wanting what pay was due him and ex-
pressing desire to get away from home.
stead as soon SO. poss;ble. but when assured
that he was not the man the officer wanted,
he went to work again seemingly con-
tented.
This conduct interested Mr.. Pfeiffer, who
was roomings rs well as working in his
company, and at the first opportunity be-
gan systematic inquiry of Owens as to
his cause of alarm. In his conversation,
Pfeffer yesterday swore before Squire
Oeffner in the course OF the inquest that
~ for those Anarchists in Chicago
who are now in jail charged
with throwing booms at the Hay Market
riot. There are others outside who are
more 10 blame than they. | was at the
Hay Market riot, and am an Anarchist,
and say that threw a boom at that riot ,"
Pfeid vas cautioned o,keep the state
! ment q seezet. and for that reason he did
not tell the story until after the death Of
Owens.
The way the story happened to- ccNe
! out was that all the men employed on the
building were standing around the
/ Squiss's Office. having been, summoned
/ there IS witnesses In the Ovens iDGu est,
| and while there Pfeifer and Mullet, Logan
| talking of this story. II heard their re-
/ marks" said the Squire this moSning,
and lmmedlatesJ called Siet1ef 10 Inc
/ stand, sHore him, and although it had
nothing to do with the cause OF Owens
death. yet under oath he hold the story
! have Just related"
The singular story of the man tbEens was
! made the ubiect of Investigation at Home
stead this afternoon, kr. Piper, mot Pfelf-
fer) as stated above, who worked with
| owens, saws that his testimony before the
coroner's ipquest was substantially rs re-
ported. Owens, ne says, was man about
% years OF sge, and said to him that he be-
longed to the same group Of Anarchists as
Spies and Parsonss that he was present at
the Hsymarket meeting, handed the bomb.
and was close to the man who threw it.
Impressed by the statement of Piper, the
squire made an examination of the effects
of the deceased. In his trunk were found
number OF letters one OF which was from
his sister in Chicago, warning him to KEEP
away from all Socialists, as they had beer
the cause Of all his trouble. Another lei
ter was from his brother, cautioning hin
not to write home for fear his letters nigh
beInteTcepted NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. revealed
that bis old home was watched and ad
Vising him to act with caution, aud put a
great a distance between him and Chicag'
as possible.